1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to fluid purification systems, and more particularly, to an improved and more efficient system for separating impurities from an aqueous solution utilizing a rotating separator and a vacuum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that water and other fluids must be filtered or treated so as to separate and remove entrained impurities in order to render the impure water safe and/or useable. Various techniques and processes have heretofore been employed in order to purify water. In particular, reverse osmosis systems are the preferred method of purifying aqueous solutions.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,188,090, 5,385,298 and 5,957,122 to Griggs disclose apparatus having rotors therein for heating water in a system. The disclosed apparatus all utilize cylindrical rotors, having a plurality of bores whose depth preferably exceeds their diameter, rotatable in a C-faced housing by an external power source, such as an electrical motor.
While the use of reverse osmosis systems provide clean or purified water, they have to be cleaned and/or maintained frequently, and tend to be expensive to own and operate. And, while the apparatus for heating fluids in the Griggs ""090, ""298 and ""122 patents do produce heated water, they do not work efficiently in producing purified water, nor do they produce heated or purified water in sufficient quantities to be used in anything except small or low capacity systems, such as residential hot water systems.
The present invention provides improvements in purifying larger quantities of water and other aqueous solutions in a more efficient and productive manner. This is accomplished by utilizing a system having a vacuum drawn therein and by using a separator having a cylindrical rotor or wheel with a plurality of different sized orifices formed therein and spaced uniformly around an outer surface thereof. The rotor or wheel is held in a housing and mounted on a shaft held in bearing assemblies and is rotated at high speed to cause fluid in the housing to be sheared off at the molecular level. This shearing action separates the clean and purified fluid from the impurities. And any impurities in the fluid are pumped out of the system, while the purified fluid is pumped to a holding tank by a vacuum system, for use as needed. The heat produced during this process aids in purification of the fluid, and is used to aid in preheating incoming, unpurified fluid to the system.
Therefore, it can be seen that the present invention meets an existing need in the art for the improved and more efficient system for purifying aqueous solutions, as well as the production of large quantities of purified water, or the like, in a controlled manner.
Accordingly, It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved system for purifying fluids. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved system for more efficiently purifying aqueous solutions utilizing a vacuum system. It is another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved separator having a rotor with a plurality of uniformly spaced, different sized orifices formed therein. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved system for achieving substantially improved through-put of purified water by utilizing a vacuum. And, it is a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for purifying water having a more efficient separator with a rotating wheel used in conjunction with a vacuum, and a plurality of tanks and pumps to efficiently purify large quantities of water.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a system for purifying fluid comprised of a circulation tank, a separator operated by an electric motor, a preheat fluid tank, a system to form a vacuum and a purified product holding tank. Incoming fluid is first drawn into the preheat fluid tank and then to the circulation tank, after which it is drawn into the separator where it is purified before being drawn through a venturi and into the purified fluid holding tank. In a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided a system utilizing a known separator or heat pump to greatly increase the efficiency and production of purified fluid.